American Graffiti (1973)

Director: George Lucas
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat

Synopsis:
High school graduates spend one last night on the town before going their separate ways.

Impressions:
You'll be hard-pressed to find a film that better crystallizes the nostalgia for growing up in the late 50s/early 60s than this movie. If you're looking for a plot in a conventional sense, you won't really find much, but this is a good character study that develops its leads well. There are solid performances across the board, but I have to admit I was partial to the plotline of hotrodder John (Paul Le Mat) and young Carol (Mackenzie Phillips). If you ever wanted to hear Harrison Ford's singing voice, this is your chance (no, really). If you only know George Lucas from Star Wars, it's worth checking this out to see what a different sort of film he could make. Even removing the Lucas factor, it's worth seeing on its own merits, so give it a watch.

Rating:
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